Adhocism: Key police, city administration positions occupied by stopgap appointees

IGP, SSP Operations, DC among officers on acting charge.

ISLAMABAD: There is a maxim that there are three extremely hard things in police work — the mind of the policeman, the mind of the criminal and the mind of the department.

This does not go well with the Islamabad Police or the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration, where key positions including the slot of Inspector General (IG) and deputy commissioner are being run ad hoc. Stopgap arrangements are fast becoming a hallmark of the current government.

Tahir Alam Khan, previously the operations deputy inspector general (DIG), was given acting charge as chief of the Islamabad Police after former IG Aftab Cheema was sent on forced leave in September following his refusal to use force against Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek supporters.  Since then, the government has failed to make a permanent appointment.

The crime rate has gone up in the city since Khan took the charge, a fact that he admitted recently while requesting the Islamabad administration to approve the establishment of three new police stations.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Security Mirvaiz Khan is on acting charge as Operations SSP after Asmatullah Junejo was removed from the position for allegedly “showing leniency” while registering a case against a local ASWJ leader.

Meanwhile, ICT Development and Finance Director Capt (retd) Mushtaq Ahmed was given acting charge as Islamabad Deputy Commissioner after Mujahid Sherdil went on indefinite leave.

Sources in the ICT Administration told The Express Tribune that Sherdil had requested the government to relieve him of his duties during the PAT-PTI sit-ins.

The interior ministry, however, did not accept his request asking him to continue at the same post.

Even after the sit-ins ended, his request for transfer was not accepted, after which he went on long leave, which has been extended thrice, said an official.

“The country is facing an extraordinary situation in terms of security. Many serious incidents have taken place in the capital over the last few months, but the government still seems reluctant to fill important position through permanent inductions,” said a senior police official while requesting anonymity.

Interior Ministry Media Director Muhammad Sarfraz said he could not provide an official comment without speaking to the ministry secretary. A few hours later, he said, “I’m still trying.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2015.